Spool for typewriter ribbons



Jan. 26, 1954 R. HURTADO s. 2,667,257

SPOOL FOR TYPEWRITER RIBBONS Filed Feb. 19, 1952 INVENTOR. QuJ-uzoo HUQTADO 5. BY

Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 SPOOL FOR TYPEWRITER RIBBONS Ricardo Hurtado S., Bogota, Colombia Application February 19, 1952, Serial No. 272,347

- ribbon is being replaced.

In conventional ribbon spool construction, the replacement of a used ribbon by a new one requires that the entire old spool be discarded, a

completely new spool being substituted therefor. Understandably, this raises, to a substantial degree, the cost of new typewriter ribbons, and additionally, involves a wastage of metal.

In view of the above, it is the broad object of the present invention to provide a ribbon spool construction wherein the ribbon will be wound upon an inexpensive core, said core constituting the only metal part with which the ribbon is sold, and being adapted for separable connection to a pair of opposed discs that constitute permanent parts of the typewriter.

Another important object is to provide a ribbon spool construction as described, wherein the sectional spool construction constituting the present invention will be applicable to conventionally formed typewriters already in use without the necessity of modifying or redesigning said typewriters.

Still another important object is to provide a ribbon spool of the type stated in which the discs and replacement core can be assembled with maximum facility, and without the need of tools of any kind.

Still another important object is to provide a ribbon spool wherein the replacement core will be particularly designed in a manner to facilitate the winding of a ribbon thereon at the factory for distribution of the Wound ribbon and core.

Yet another important object is to provide a ribbon spool as described, wherein the replacement core will be adapted for the winding of a ribbon thereupon in either direction.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a ribbon spool formed in accordance with the present invention, a typewriter on which said ribbon spool is mounted being illustrated fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

I Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the 2 Claims. (01. 197-175) 2 ribbon spool.

Referring to the drawings in detail, at III I have designated aportion of the body of a conventionally constructed typewriter havingrotatably mounted therein the upstanding spindle l2. The spindle l2, as will'beappreciated, is rotated by the conventional mechanism, and has rigid therewith a wheel [4 provided with a marginally located, upstanding dog I6.

Formed upon the body I!) in spaced relation to the spindle I 2 is a supporting ledge l8 on which is removably mounted a protective spool cover 20.

A spool support cup 22 is mounted upon the body I0, and at one or more locations upon its periphery is provided with a recess 24 arranged contiguous to a ribbon guide 26 through which the ribbon R is fed during operation of the machine.

All of this is conventional construction and does not, per se, constitute part of the present invention.

The ribbon spool formed in accordance with the present invention includes a circular bottom disc 28 having a concentric, upwardly offset center portion defining a frusto-conical seat 30.

Within the marginal portion of the seat 30. at diametrically opposite locations thereupon, I provide a pair of radial slots 32, either of which is adapted to receive the dog or pin I6 (Figure 2). In this Way, the disc 28 is removably assembled with the spindle l2 and its associated wheel M for rotation by the spindle during operation of the machine.

Also formed in the disc 28, and disposed equidistantly from the respective radial slots 32, are diametrically opposite apertures 34, these being formed in the disc immediately beyond the periphery of the seat 3!).

The disc 28 is provided with a center opening 36, receiving one end of an inner sleeve 38. The inner sleeve 33 projects upwardly fromthe disc 28, and is secured permanently at its lower end to the disc by formation of an annular crim 40 at said lower end of the inner sleeve, said crimp defining a circumferential groove on the sleeve in which the edge of the center opening 3% is engaged.

The upwardly projecting portion of the inner sleeve 38 is provided (Figure 4) with diametrically opposite, longitudinal slots 42, said slots terminating at their lower ends above the seat 30, and opening at their other ends upon the upper end of the inner sleeves.

Intermediate the opposite ends of the inner sleeve, and spaced closely from the upper end thereof, an outwardly directed, annular rib 44 is provided, said rib being defined by crimping the sleeve outwardly during the manufacture there- Included in the ribbon spool construction is a cylindrical core 46, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the diameter of the base of the seat 30. At one end the core 46 is integrally formed-with diametrically opposite lugs 48 prono necessity of bending the lugs inwardly to secure the connection. It will be readily appreciated, in this regard, that the insertion :of the lugs 48 in the apertures 34 will connect the core 46 to the disc 28 for rotation therewith. Y

, Disposed substantiallymedially between the opposite ends of the replacement core 4.6 are-diametrically opposite, pointed teeth 59 which are struck outwardly from the material of which the core is formed. The teeth 50, as will be :noted from either Figure 3 or Figure .4, are pointed in 5 a direction tangential to the :core, and areextended outwardly from the .core in opposite .directions. This construction permits a single form of replacement core 456 .to be used, whether the ribbon is to be wound thereupon to the left or 30 to the right,

The core 46 is also formed with .a longitudinally disposed, instruck node 52 aligned with .a longitudinal slot 151% that opens :upon the upper end of the core. core to facilitate the winding of a ribbon thereupon at the factory, it'being-understood that when the ribbon is to be initially wound upon the .core, said core would be positioned upon a rotating shaft, not shown, recessed to receive the node 52 and having an outwardly directed pin or rib extending into the slot 54. Additionally, the slot .54

provides means adapted to receive .a hook member, not shown, which is provided onsome typewriter ribbons for the purpose .of securing said 4 ribbons to their associated cores. Usually, however, the ribbon is secured at one end to the core 46 by impaling of the ribbon end with a selected tooth 50.

An upper disc has been designated by the reier- 5 ence numeral '55, and corresponds in :outer diameter to the outer diameter of the lower disc -28. The upper .disc is centrally formed with a downwardly offset frusto-conical seat or boss 58, which is adapted to enter the open upper end of the replacement core 46 when the ribbon spool is being assembled.

Formed in the upper disc is a center opening in which is engaged the upper end of :an outer sleeve 62, said upper end of the outer sleeve'being 60 :annularlycrimped inwardly for engagement with the edge of the opening 66.

Intermediate its opposite endsgthe outersleeve is formed with an 'outstruck, circumferentialcolla-r 66 defining an interior groove in the outer .ally to .an extent sufficient to permit entry gtheresti-tuted therefor.

This construction is embodied in the v of into the outer sleeve. When the inner sleeve is telescoped fully within the outer sleeve, with its rib 44 engaged in the interior groove of the outer sleeve, the diametrically opposite side Wall portions of the inner sleeve defined by formation of the slots 42 therein tend to spring outwardly, thus to bind the sleeves tightly while still permitting them to be separated when a new core 46 is to be substituted for an old one.

'By reason of "the construction illustrated and described, replacement ribbons can be wound upon a core '46, and need not be sold with the upper and lower discs. In this way, a considerable sav- ;ing in metal, and an attendant reduction in the over-all cost of the ribbon spool is effected.

In use, and assuming that a new core 46 is to be assembled with the other components of the ribbon spool, the upper disc 56 is lifted upwardly, disengaging the sleeves of the respective discs from one another. The old core 46 can then be lifted off the lower .disc, and a new .core sub- T-he new core is mounted upon the lower disc merely by entry of the lugs :48 into the apertures .34, and can be readily aligned concentrically with the lower disc by reason of the frusto-conical seat .33, the side wall of which will engage the lower end of the core 46 and guide it to its proper location relative to the lower adisc. After the core 46 has been placed upon the lower disc in this manner, it is merely necessary that the upper disc 56 be returned :to its previous position by forcing the outer sleeve downwardly over the inner sleeve until .=the;sleeves are engaged in the manner illustrated Figure .2.

When'the upp r disc is .being returned to its proper position, the downwardly offset :boss :58 thereof will engage the ;upper end of :the core 4 6, so as'to guide the upper disc toits properlocation. Itis believed apparent thatithe invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or' uses thereof described above, .since it may "be utilized for any purpose :to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to "be illustrative .of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sectional typewriter ribbon spool comprising: a lower disc adapted to ,be connected to ,the spool-rotating spindle of a typewriter .for rotation thereby, said lower disc having a plurality of apertures spaced from its center of rotation; an inner sleeve secured to and upstanding from the lower disc, .said inner sleevebeing adapted to receive the spindle and being formed with ,a circumferential exterior rib an upper disc spaced above :the lower disc; an outer sleeve secured ,to and depending from the upper disc, and having a circumferential interior groove .releasably engageable with said .rib, said inner sleeve telescoping within the outer sleeve to separably connect the "discs to one another; and .a .coreadapted for the winding of a ribbon thereon circumposed 0 about the sleeves, the core abutting at its opposite ends against the respective discs and including a plurality of lugs at one end proportioned to enter said apertures to separably connect the lower discand core for-j oint rotation.

2. A sectional typewriter ribbon spool comprising: ,a lower disc :adapted'to :be connected .to the spool-rotating spindle of a typewriter for rotation thereby, said lower disc having a plurality of apertures spaced from its center of rotation; an inner sleeve secured to and upstanding from the lower disc, said inner sleeve being adapted to receive the spindle and being formed with a circumferential exterior rib; an upper disc spaced above the lower disc; an outer sleeve secured to and depending from the upper disc and havin a circumferential interior groove releasably engageable with said rib, said inner sleeve telescoping within the outer sleeve to separably connect the discs to one another; a core circumposed about the sleeves, the core abutting at its opposite ends against the respective discs and including a plurality of lugs at one end proportioned RICARDO HURTADO S.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 11,097 Ray July 22, 1890 1,038,660 Rotter Sept. 17, 1912 1,366,182 Hokanson Jan. 18, 1921 2,304,498 Hart Dec. 8, 1942 

